Roker Rapport

Following up his recent appearance on the Wise Men Say podcast surrounding the current situation at the club, University of Liverpool's Football Industries MBA lecturer, financial expert, author of The Price of Football, and host of the Price of Football podcast - Kieran Maguire joined our Rich for a quick chat about the position SAFC find themselves in.What are we talking about?Money; Recent leaks suggest a large hole in the club accounts, so what does this mean exactly?Kieran's opinion on the current climate and state of the market when it comes to buying and selling clubs in 2020;If he was asked to advise Madrox Partners on what they should be doing right now regarding Sunderland, what would his advice be?Is fan ownership a viable option for the fans of a club like ours; Kieran gives a brief rundown on the fortunes of other clubs who are currently, or were up until recently, fan owned.Should Stewart Donald be prioritising profit over what is in the best interests of the club regarding it's possible sale?Ki

Sorry to keep you all waiting.Our Chris Wynn caught up with a man who brought joy back to the lives of so many Sunderland supporters over 30 years ago, when he arrived on Wearside to deal with the last time the club fell through the divisions - One of the finest managers of our lifetime following the lads - Mr Denis Smith!What are we talking about?Absolutely everything Chris could think to ask, from Denis' beginnings as a player and his career at Stoke, his arrival on the managerial scene years later to meet up with some other Sunderland greats at York, to his time at Sunderland and the rollercoaster ride he took us all on.. As well as his regrets, the players he loved, his thoughts on Sunderland's current situation, a brief on his 1,195* competitive matches as a manager in the football leagues, what he's up to now and of course whether we can convince his lovely wife to let him get back to the job he loved...A wonderful interview with a quite brilliant man. Hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed reco

Gav had the chance to chat with former Sunderland winger, a member of a Swedish football family dynasty and an IFK Göteborg legend - Toby Hysén - about his time on wearside in that promotion season under Roy Keane, his career and passion for football to this day.What are we talking about?What's Tobias been up to since the lighter form of lockdown in Sweden took place?His arrival at Sunderland in 2006 under Sunderland Legend Niall Quinn, who was trying to famously juggle a few jobs at once around the club;The subsequent arrival of Keano, and the huge flow of new signings into that squad as Roy attempted something of a miracle; Why does Tobias think he's not had as good a run in management since?His favourite memories of the squad and the season; Who really stood out and why? Who was the leader in the dressing room and how did the added competition impact his ability to get a good playing rhythm?Team bonding sessions abroad, Roy helping him celebrate his 25th birthday (aye...) trips to Seaham and all the twists

Our Bomber got the chance to chat with the absolute class act that is Mr Bolo Zenden, to have a quick recap of his glittering career in football, from De Herdgang to the Bernabéu, from Anfield to the Stadium of Light and everywhere in between. You can listen for FREE on Acast, iTunes, Spotify, & YouTube - get stuck in!What are we talking about?How is Bolo doing at home during lockdown?His quite spectacular list of former clubs; How did it feel moving from the Eredivisie to La Liga, and how did he find his way to the EPL?His memories of his time at Barcelona under Louis van Gaal; Is there such a thing as too many Dutch players?Moving to the Premier League with Chelsea, Liverpool, Boro and finally Sunderland; How and why did he make the move from Olympique de Marseille to the banks of the Wear?Some of his favourite players, managers and memories down the years; Just how good was El Fenomeno in his prime, and who was the best opposition player he faced?Upon joining Sunderland in

Half of the RR editorial and management team got together yesterday (Including the return after two long years of the exiled one, Mr Tom Atkinson) following the announcement of a new CEO - A lad called Jim (I'm not saying that last name either) and tried to work out where they sat with the decision and what they hope/fear this might mean for the club, as well as getting a few things about our owners off their collective chests...What are we talking about?Jim. Who is Jim? Does Charlie know Jim? Does Jim know Charlie? If Jim knows Charlie do we think he likes him, and if so...why?More Jim R____ chatter, including his previous endeavours in the footballing world and what we've been told about the way he conducts himself in these roles;What do the lads think Jim should do? Should Jim tell us what he's here for, or should he sit in the shadows like at previous clubs?General chat about the owners, what they're up to, what they have done (allegedly) and what they haven't done (allegedly) and other stuff people may/m

Chris got the chance to speak with yet another absolute lad of a golden era in Sunderland's (sort of) recent history - former Sunderland full back and current Darlington assistant manager Mr Darren Holloway!What are we talking about this episode?Darren recalls his time as a youngster being brought in on the FA's Youth Training Scheme at Sunderland, and getting coached by the legends Monty, George Herd and Pop Robson;Chats about the differences between not only training methods back in the day, but the integration with the older lads, scrubbing boots, clearing up, getting stuck in where you could and that desire to prove yourself to those above you;Premier Passions; What was it like at the time having the cameras in around Roker Park during that relegation season?Being championed by Pop to get his chance at the first team, and endlessly working toward his goal to play professional first team football no matter what;His relationship with the Lads, that famous team spirit, getting looked after with the rest

Chris Wynn had the chance to catch up with another legend of our time supporting the Lads - Mr Gary Owers - from his garden in isolation (with some beautiful birdsong for added atmosphere) to talk us through his tremendous memories of the Denis Smith era and his incredible record of 320 appearances for the club in just 5 years...We discuss:Gary being signed by Lawrie McMenemy and coached by his son Chris as a youth player at the Charlie Hurley centre, and watching us slip into the third division;The arrival of Denis Smith and the amazing football roller-coaster that followed, featuring double promotions, multiple Wembley trips, and getting taken under the older lads wings;England youth call-ups, getting battered with planks in Poland, passport woes with Bobby Robson as well as witnessing that famous speech of Robson's on the plane journey home;That 1990 playoff derby against the mags, sticking the boot in where necessary, getting chased off the pitch and avoiding swinging fists at Sid James' when the lads won

In Loving Memory of Jake Craddock. Never Forgotten x We had the wonderful opportunity to catch up with a legend of the Reidy years, former Sunderland and Wolves Centre Back - Mr Jody Craddock - To delve into his years at Sunderland and beyond... Featuring:His transition from Cambridge to Sunderland; How did all that come about?Resident RR Quizmaster Chris Wynn takes a deep dive into Jody's Sunderland career; A season by season/blow by blow account...Jody speaks candidly about his time at the club, his love for the fans, his determination to do the best he possibly could, and both Lads try to put their finger on what exactly happened in those consecutive 7th place finish seasons;His views on his teammates, his favourite partnerships, that Charlton playoff final, the derbies against the mags, the character of the dressing room and the importance of having strength in depth;His views on the timing of Reidy's departure and the bizarre appointment of Wilkinson; When did he see the wheels beginning to come off?H

BBC's MOTD commentator, former member of the legendary trio of Guy, Gilly and Gatesy on Metro Radio, academy award winner* and all round lovely lad Guy Mowbray joined us from isolation a couple weeks ago to chat.. well about everything really.. Including:His career coming up through local radio stations to reach the heady heights of World Cup commentary, and taking over from John Motson as the BBC's lead commentator on Match of the Day:The G Force and the Sunderland years; His memories of taking over pubs in London and various other towns and Cities with the lads fans, as well as covering what many see as a golden era for Sunderland;His feelings on the nature of club ownership in the modern era, including a few opinions on the situation at Sunderland under Ellis Short and Stewart Donald, as well as looking at the damage caused to his hometown club York City for many years;That MOTD scheduling argument; It's far more simple than people may think.Football following the COVID-19 Pandemic; What are his thoug

SPOILER ALERT (AGAIN)As stated on the first part of this review, RR were given an advanced screening of the now LIVE second season of Netflix Documentary - Sunderland 'Til I Die - from our friends at Fulwell73 a week ahead of release, so RR managing editor Gav and Podcast manager Craig recorded a set of review/spoiler episodes and went all deep dive on the public reliving of our 2018/2019 first season in League One!Part Two (this one aye) covers the ominous episodes 4-6 (with a brief appearance down the line from Sky Sports MLF Tom White) as the series draws to it's unfortunately inevitable conclusion... Enjoy?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

SPOILER ALERTRR were given an advanced screening of the now LIVE second season of Netflix Documentary - Sunderland 'Til I Die - from our friends at Fulwell73 a week ahead of release, so RR managing editor Gav and Podcast manager Craig recorded a set of review/spoiler episodes and went all deep dive on the public reliving of our 2018/2019 first season in League One!Part one covers all things Episodes 1-3 with the review of Episodes 4-6 coming 12 hours from now, when you may well have gotten around to watching it all yourselves... Enjoy!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Joining us in the studio (prior to lockdown) to talk about his long career as a commentator on Sunderland games, his relationships with the managers and players over the years, his favourite moments, his worst nightmares, his friendship with Benno and his relationship with tweed is BBC Newcastle’s Nick Barnes! You can listen for FREE on Acast, iTunes, Spotify, & YouTube - get stuck in!Wash your hands, stay inside, follow the guidelines, support our NHS and each other. Stay safe lads and lasses!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Joining us to talk about growing up as a Sunderland fan, his armed forces career, his fantastic 'Veterans in Crisis Sunderland' community interest group and how they're coping during the Coronavirus pandemic is Ger Fowler!What are we talking about?Ger tells us all about what they do at 'Veterans in Crisis' and how they're helping ex-servicemen on Wearside to get their lives back on track;The most vulnerable in society suffer most during moments of crisis, so how can we help?Ger tells us about his days growing up at Roker Park;Ger talks about his military career and what inspired him to sign up;We talk about the 'Veterans in Crisis' podcast, including notable guests Kevin Ball, Grant Leadbitter and Tom Sloanes;And so much more. Listen in!You can find information about Veterans in Crisis on their website:

DISCLAIMER: THE CONTENT OF THIS PODCAST IS NOT TO BE TAKEN AS GUIDANCE IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM REGARDING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC (Obviously)As it was recorded Sunday, lots of information is out of date, and you really shouldn't trust us with your lives as we talk shit about football. Oh and forgive the rough editing, the editor feels rough.Wash your hands. Keep safe. Haway the Lads, Lasses and everyone else.If you're looking for any relevant information to current world events, please use the links below.https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ -https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public -https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Craig, Alex, RR manager Gav and Dennis dropped by the Roker End Cafe yesterday to chat all things SAFC - over a pink slice and a coffee or two - with A Love Supreme's Martyn McFadden. You can listen for FREE on Acast, iTunes, Spotify, & YouTube - get stuck in!What are we talking about?The Lads disappointing/deserved (delete as appropriate) draw with Gillingham on Saturday afternoon;Kyle Lafferty; With a return of two goals from his first start as he replaced an apparently injured Wyke, should we expect to see far more of him in the coming weeks?The Promotion Race; Is it off? Is it on? Does it depend on how much you've had to drink?Leaking goals; Besides the injury to Bailey Wright, what has suddenly happened to a defence that had begun to deliver clean sheets and solid performances consistently?Looking ahead to another match against Bristol Rovers tomorrow evening, what are the lads expecting to see?Performances, the timing of subs, league predictions, STID, Gav's burgeoning

Craig, Ant and Sam slipped into something more comfortable and headed to the bar for a few drinks and a nice little chat about yesterday's bump in the road; complete with deliberation over whether to get angry or not, the Wyke conversation, the road to Wembley looking like it could be a definite (if not unfortunate) possibility, discussion over who we might want to rest for a match or two, and generally all things SAFC as usual!It's not over yet Lads and Lasses...You can listen for FREE on Acast, iTunes, Spotify, & YouTube - get stuck in!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After an eventful week in the Exiles group attempting to overcome some technical difficulties (and dealing with our Niall and John bitching about each other) Brett grabbed Chris, Niall and John to talk about: The Fleetwood draw and how everyone felt about the performance;Team selection and looking ahead to Coventry on Sunday;Detailed Pub crawl announcements from the Sons of Liberty branch in the US;Our Michael Dunne from the Irish branch chats with Ali Maxwell from the NTT20Pod to preview the Coventry match and the state of the league from 26:21 in (for those in a hurry)Then from about an hour in we get to enjoy a 20 minute long, strangely passionate row between the Bromley/Stacey gruesome twosome regarding Jon McLaughlin and whether he... deserves his place? (I left it in because these two crack me up, so enjoy that)Parental guidance advisedSorry about the delay lads and lasses but Editorial is under quarantine... Waheeey! Haway the lads! Here's to the end of days!  See acast.com/privacy for privac

The lads got together in the studio to - guess what - talk about all things SAFC as usual!What's on the agenda:The win over Bristol Rovers - are Sunderland promotion-bound?Just how good was the performance?The ref - good game, or bad game?The Lads discuss the bacon, and whether it was any good;Excerpts from the Steve Bruce literary masterpiece "Striker"Looking ahead to Fleetwood tomorrow;It's fun and laughter in a chocolate cuddle!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tom, Ant and Sam got together in the bar before the game to try and think of something to say about team selections... then return at the final whistle to give their immediate reactions to another Sunderland win, another clean sheet, shite refs and chat all things Parkiola!May contain harsh language.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rich joined us again from his hut on his Welsh mountain to chat with Martin in the land down under, Michael on the Emerald Isle and Jimmy.. somewhere near the A40.. to talk all things SAFC as usual! You can listen for FREE on Acast, iTunes, Spotify, & YouTube - get stuck in!This week: The lads take a quick look at the Oxford outing; Discuss the strange possibility of Sunderland winning a trophy in one of the worst ways possible; Team selection; Is Ozturk nailed on to be the only change for tomorrow, and how is everyone feeling about Wyke?Bomber gets the scrumpy and chats about tractors with Max from GasCast (starts at 18:12 if you’re in a hurry) ahead of Bristol Rover’s visit to the Stadium of Light tomorrow; The lads make some announcements from the various branches and the BLC, and finally play their favourite little game together... Listen In!RIP Andy  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.